Description
After the success of Yuko Mabuchi Trio Volume 1, executive producers Craig and Diane Martin generously supported Yuko’s second vinyl pressing. The Trio’s CD was underwritten and executive produced by Randy Bellous.
With help from David B. Levinson and in honor of 25th Anniversary of the Los Angeles and Orange County Audio Society, the Martins have underwritten Bernie Grundman’s 45RPM lacquers of this wonderful music. Please see Yuko Mabuchi Trio’s CD page for more information and liner notes about the entire project.
Please see Volume 1 for extensive reviews of the original release.
Bob Levi –
Thank you so much for making this FIRST RATE record. Thank you Yuko and thank you Yarlung! Love the cover, graphics and artwork, and thank you for including the 25th Anniversary logo for the Los Angeles and Orange County Audio Society. We feel very honored. That is one heck of a badge! Absolutely Fantastic.
Volume Two fulfills the promise and expectations following Volume One. Yuko’s solo piano jazz medley may be among the greatest solo piano captures on vinyl, and I have never heard a St. Thomas I like better than this one from Yuko, Del and Bobby. What a fantastic arrangement and set of improvisations. Sonny Rollins must be delighted his legacy is in such good hands. My feet will not stop dancing. Beautiful pressing. Good work.
Robert H. Levi
President, Los Angeles and Orange County Audio Society
Don Davis –
Last night, I very much enjoyed listening to the entire set of Yuko Mabuchi. As I suspected, the vinyl version was warm and intimate, with an incredibly quiet background, which speaks to the quality of the production and to the vinyl quality and cutting … quiet passages such as Bobby Brenton’s brushes that appear on the drums, on Valse Noire, after Yuko’s piano opening, is awesome! And the standup bass of Del Atkins on all passages is just incredible.
When I did an A/B comparison of a couple of songs – vinyl to digital, I did appreciate that Yuko’s piano was a bit more forward and “centered” in the digital version, but the digital lacked the overall tonal balance and at some points was a bit sharp on transients.
For fine listening, I’ll always reach for the vinyl version!
As a longtime audiophile, and to give you some perspective to my comments and my commitment to high quality music – my system consists of a VPI Scout turntable with a Clearaudio Talisman V2 Gold moving coil cartridge, a McIntosh MP100 Phone Preamp with balanced outputs to a McIntosh MX160 Preamp – with balanced outputs to a McIntosh MC452 amp, driving a pair of Wilson Audio Sasha Series 2 speakers. On the digital side, I have an Aurender A10 dual mono DAC music server, with fully balanced analog outputs to the McIntosh MX160 Preamp.
It’s taken me a lifetime to achieve this level of audio, and with incredible recordings and new vinyl reproductions, I will be always be looking for more great music.
If you have any suggestions for more productions of yours, and Yarlung, please let me know.
Thank you.
Don Davis
Bob Attiyeh –
Don, thank you so much for this lengthy and sensitive review. Thanks also for mentioning the serious components you have carefully selected to give you the magnificent music you appreciate so much.
Yes, Yuko, Del and Bobby make us very proud. Their playing inspires me every day, and it makes me happy that you are enjoying these albums so much.
When people ask for recommendations after falling in love with one of our Yarlung jazz albums, I normally recommend four: Sophisticated Lady Jazz Quartet (recorded in Cammilleri Hall a few years before we worked there with Yuko Mabuchi Trio), Ciaramella Dances (because this is what jazz sounded like a few hundred years earlier (and it is one of Michael Fremer’s favorites in the Yarlung Catalog), Smoke & Mirrors percussion ensemble (equally stunning) and one or both of Antonio Lysy’s LPs, celebrating tangos and music from Argentina. The South American dance rhythms of tango came from Africa, just as swing and the synchopated dance rhythnms in jazz came from Africa. Try some of these and please let me know what you think!
Sincerely, thanks so much for your support and best wishes,
Bob Attiyeh
producer
Romeo Laureano –
Bravo!!! Just listened to the Yuko Mabuchi record and it is simply stunning. Best acoustical jazz record in my collection! Looking forward to sampling other Yarlung artists…
Bob Attiyeh –
Thanks so much for sharing your reaction to Yuko Mabuchi Trio, Mr. Laureano. We are honored to receive such praise.
We are fortunate at our small record label to have worked with so many world-class musicians. If you like Yarlung jazz, and if you like the sound and performance in Cammilleri Hall, I might suggest you listen also to Volume 1 of Sophisticated Lady Jazz Quartet, also on vinyl. I hope you like it as much as I do.
Thanks!
Sincerely,
Bob Attiyeh
producer
Ethan Young –
The Yuko Mabuchi Trio LP’s are among my favorites albums. Here’s to many more years and more music.
Sincerely,
Ethan
William Reidlinger –
I love this music and the recordings really shine on my stereo system. I also have “Yuko Plays Miles” on CD. I love her arrangement of Nardis as much as Patricia Barber’s. They are different but do equal justice to one of my favorite of Miles’ compositions. And dare I say that Yuko is every bit as beautiful as her music. Those album covers were distracting me from the music at first😀.
Needless to say, you have a Yarlung fan here and I’ll be following your future releases.
Please give my regards to the musicians. Where would we be without their gifts?
Regards,
Bill
Fran McGowan –
Anything from the Yuko Mabuchi Trio is music to my ears….pun intended! The sound of the trio is amazing! Nothing over the top, only good title selections and pure easy listening jazz trio music. The trio is in my living room. You have produced a winner here! Keep’m coming!
Bob Attiyeh –
Thank you Fran! Yuko is a treat.
–Bob Attiyeh
Chuck Mount –
I actually bought both volumes of Yuko’s release on vinyl. I also bought the hi res file from qubuz.
it’s a 5 star release for me for both sound fidelity and performance. I enjoy it very much and use it as a reference when testing new equipment. I definitely keep an eye out for future releases by her!
Bob Attiyeh –
Thank you so much Chuck! Stay tuned for Yuko Mabuchi plays Miles Davis, also 180 Gram 45RPM vinyl, which should be finished at the pressing plant in Europe soon! Many thanks to executive producers Diane and Craig Martin for their support.
–Bob Attiyeh